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INSTRUCTION No

INSTRUCTION No. 422-TTg ON THE 15th OF AUGUST, 1994 OF THE PRIME MINISTER ON PROMOTING THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO STATE MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES

The present situation of our country, when we are broadening our international relations, requires that each State manager and employee keep in touch with the advanced science and technology of the world, absorb experiences in modern economic management, and be well acquainted with the market mechanism and international relations in different domains. In the coming years, out relations with other nations, the international organizations, and our contacts with individual foreigners will become more and more imperative and widespread. That is why, it is a pressing demand that our cadres at all levels speak foreign languages in order to directly contact and discuss with foreigners, and to proceed to higher studies and researches.

Proceeding from this situation, the Prime Minister has instructed all the ministries, the ministerial-level agencies and the agencies attached to the Government, the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, to work out a program of training and fostering the command of foreign languages (chiefly English) of the contingent of State managers and employees under their jurisdiction. This includes the following concrete works:

1. To adopt incentive policies, and define the concrete responsibilities of all State managers and employees, especially those of high and intermediate levels, and young cadres under 45 years of age, in all ministries, ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government and all the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, to learn foreign languages and improve their foreign language standard above the present level, so that by the end of 1997 they can use foreign languages (chiefly English) in their contacts with foreigners and in studying documents in the domain of their specialties.

2. With regard to cadres under the vice-ministerial rank and below 45 years of age working at the agencies involved in foreign relations or external economic relations, the use of at least one popular foreign language (chiefly English) is an obligatory demand, and is considered a criterion and a condition for consideration of promotion to higher posts, wage rise and sending on mission aboard.

3. The ministries, branches and localities shall work out their plans and draw up the list of each category of managers and their present foreign language standard, and report it to the Government Commission on Organization and Personnel which shall synthetize it in a general report, and collaborate with the Ministry of Education and Training to open training and refresher courses specifically reserved for managers, and create favorable conditions and encourage them to learn foreign languages in any form.

State managers and employees are allowed to use a reasonable portion of time in the office time to learn foreign languages. A number of high-ranking officials working in branches involving international transaction should be sent to full time refresher courses.

The Government Commission on Organization and Personnel shall synthetize the plan for foreign language teaching to State managers and employees of the ministries, branches and localities, monitor the deployment of the program, allocate the number of quotas for the recruitment of students of foreign-language courses among cadres of high and intermediate levels. For the other cadres, the Commission shall assign the task and provide guidance for the ministries, branches and localities in the implementation of the program.

The Ministry of Education and Training shall supply the teachers, prepare the curriculum and text books, and provide active support for the foreign language training centers of the ministries, branches at the Center and in the localities. In the immediate future, there should be a number of foreign language training centers to give full-time refresher courses to cadres of high and intermediate levels, each course lasting from four to six months. Active preparation must be made to open the first such courses right in the end of 1994.

4. The expenditures for these activities shall be covered by the annual budgets for training, retraining and fostering State managers and employees. The State Planning Committee and the Ministry of Finance shall have to balance the budget and allocate expenditures for this work.

5. The Ministry of Education and Training shall work out the project and decide immediately a plan to raise the quality of foreign language teaching at the universities and colleges, and also a project to introduce foreign language teaching into the program of compulsory education at the general education schools, and urgently organize the training and fostering of foreign language teachers.

6. To encourage the foreign projects in Vietnam which include a program of teaching foreign languages to the State managers and employees. To win the support and assistance of foreign governments, companies and individuals, and international organizations which undertake projects or programs of raising the foreign-language standard of Vietnamese State managers and employees.

The Minister-Chairman of the Government Commission on Organization and Personnel, together with the Minister of Education and Training, shall direct and check the implementation of this Instruction by the various ministries, branches and localities. Every six months they shall synthetize the situation and report to the Prime Minister for timely guidance.

The Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government, and the Presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this Instruction.

The Prime Minister

VO VAN KIET